


A Pruney Miracle

by Missesbean



Series: Gone [2]
Category: Olympics RPF, Sports RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Other, Phlochte - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2012-08-12
Packaged: 2017-11-22 06:35:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missesbean/pseuds/Missesbean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A second snippet into the Gone!Series</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pruney Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the boys, I do own my OC. These are purely fictional events and did not really happen. These are all just my ideas.

  


This was the last phone conversation Michael had ever expected to happen.  Ever.  How often did someone just call and say "Hey, there's a baby with your name on it?"  Yea, never.  Heh.   But, it had and it was happening and it was now.  So he was going to have to come to grips with this reality and figure out how he was going to be a parent.  A single parent.  This hadn't at all been in the plan.  Ever.  But then, Ryan getting taken out by a semi on the "Road to Death" hadn't been in the plans either, and well, that had happened, much to Michael's hate.    
  


Having your late life partner's mom calling and telling you that a delivery of a bundle of joy with your and Ryan's name on it in Florida wasn't really anything that happened to most normal people.  But, then again, as Michael thought about it, he realized his and Ryan's situation was never normal and it would never be either.  

  
  


Who would have thought that Ryan had been serious when he had told Mike he'd asked one of his best friends from high school to mother his child and give it to him?  Last thing he had ever thought Ryan was serious about, even though he had sworn up and down he was serious.  Now, Michael was learning he had indeed, been serious.   It would have been easier to stomach had he believed Ryan previously.  Imagine that, Ryan surprising him in one way or another, even though he wasn’t here anymore.

  
  
  
  
As Michael listened to Ike in shock and horror of the story, he was having a hard time keeping his mouth from acting as a fly trap.  So, Ryan's friend and her life partner wanted to give back to Ryan for what? Because he paid their mortgage or schooling or what?   Mike shook his head in disbelief at all of this.  One was a fertility doctor? What? No, this was all, so confusing.  Michael had finally shut up Ike and told her he would just have to come to Gainesville and see this for himself, no way in hell was she serious.  This was all a joke right? Ryan was alive still and he was pranking him?  Right? 

  
  
  


 - - - 

  


Wrong.  

  
  
  
  
  
Michael sat in Ryan's mother's living room, a screaming little baby boy nestled in a bassinet like thing beside Ryan's mom's feet as she made motions with her hands, explaining to Michael this entire situation, still in disbelief herself.  Yes, Ryan had a baby.  He was a sperm donor for his own child.  With his lesbian best friend from high school who was now in a domestic partnership with her wife the fertility doctor who wanted to make people pregnant, but wanted no children of her own. They owed Ryan huge? For what?   Okay. This made sense why?  The questions were running wildly through his head as he looked at the baby in the basket thing beside his foot.  It kind of really did look like Ryan; that fact alone, made him want to pick up the little nugget and hold it, but he was refraining.  There was an entire inner monologue going on in his head.  On one hand, holding this baby would be like having a piece of Ryan again, something he missed more than anything in the world.  On the other hand, holding this baby was like finally accepting the fact that Ryan was gone and this little boy was what was left.  What was to say that the little one wouldn’t get taken from him just like Ryan had?  Michael didn’t even know if he wanted to think about being responsible for something so. . . impressionable.  It was a Ryan Slate, clean, ready to be molded into whatever he would be.  Could Michael even do that?  He had a hard enough time remembering to put his cereal in a bowl to eat it!   This all had to be a dream.  No way was he suddenly left in the care of this, screaming, pruney little thing.  And, when did Ryan have time or the thought, to get a will should anything happen to him before, during or after this whole, babygate thing happened? Like, really? He never even planned going on dates, it was hard to get him to practice, but he had gotten a baby and a will?  Shaking his head as Ike spoke, Michael was finding himself even more surprised with Ryan.  His lover was gone, yet, still surprising him.  

  
  
  
  


The moment the woman across from him had told him the baby was his, his world felt like it had flipped upside down.  He had a baby? Now? What exactly was he supposed to do with a baby? And, really, was he supposed to be okay with this?  Why hadn't Ryan told him that he was  _this_  serious - shown him a photo of the pregnant woman and the ultrasound or something! Why did he get to know all of this excitement and not tell?  Mike was so confused, but he couldn't just abandon Ryan's kiddo, he couldn't.  To be honest, it would be all he had left of Ryan, and, he couldn't even fathom giving up the opportunity to have a piece of Ry - even if it was in the shape of an eight pound, four ounce, screaming baby boy, who had the name Ryke.  Michael was almost positive of where Ryan would get such a name, but he just shook it off, hoping this child would like the name Ryke; it was on his birth certificate.  "Ryke Steven Fred Lochte," poor thing. Michael was a bit upset about the name situation, but, if the child wanted to change his name when he was older, Michael would be the first to pay for that change. The name Ryke, it had to have been a combination of Ike’s nickname, Ryan’s and Michael all rolled into one, really, it must have been. The “yke” part could be for Mike, like Ryan always called him, or for Ike, or for both, which is probably the most likely, and of course, Ryan was just that set on himself to start with his own initial.  Oye.   Did Ryan really have to put that horrific name of Fred in there? How had he even named a baby he hadn’t even seen yet?  It wasn’t like he’d been around to see little Ryke in person, so, Michael was confused.  Shaking his head of his thoughts, Michael tried to refrain from exploding on Ike, she didn’t need this. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Looking down at the little red faced thing, Michael shook his head, putting his head down on his hands, elbows resting on his knees as he tried to digest all of this.  He was rocking back and forth on the sofa, trying to find some sort of comfort in this whole situation.  The older woman across from him smiled gently at the man, patting his back softly as she slid beside him on the sofa, trying to somehow make this seem okay.   **"You know. . . Michael, if you, uhm, I can always take care of Ryke here if you, uhm, need me too and, you don't have to do this."** She gave him a reassuring smile, rubbing his back softly as she looked down at the baby in the basket.  Only her son would get into this heap of a situation and leave everyone clueless. Sure, it was sweet he wanted to start a family with his partner, but, it would have been good if he would have told him too.   

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When Ike said she'd take care of Ryke, Michael instantly shook his head no, a feeling of instant protector and possessiveness taking over him.   **"No, you don't have, er, need to do that.  I can.  He left me this job, I'll do it.  Obviously he thought that we could do this, so, I'm not going to let him down, not now.  Never.”** Michael shook his head quickly, stood up and started pacing back and forth, trying to think about all of this.   **"If- , well, when I'm doing this, I'm going to need a lot of help and. I just, I don't know anything about babies - I mean, yea, I told Ry I wanted kids, but I didn't mean today. . . I didn't know he was this serious or I would have started learning or something!"** His pacing was more rapid as he rubbed at his forehead, trying to figure out how exactly to become a Father, no, Dad, overnight.  He hadn't even been planning on this happening, ever.  Of course, when Ryan had been around, yes, he figured they'd adopt a kid or two, but, without Ryan, he hadn't really even thought that it would be anything he wanted to do.  Honestly, without Ryan, there wasn't much Michael did want to do.  

  
  
  


  
  
Now though, he wanted to do this, for Ry.  He was  _going_  to do this for Ry, and Ryke.  At the thought of the little nugget, it began to wail, Ike immediately picking the baby up and tending to it.  Michael looked over at her with big eyes, not even sure of how he was supposed to do this; he didn't even know how to properly hold a baby.  This, the parenting thing, was all so Ryan's department.  Shit, he was going to have to learn fast.  

\- - - 

  
  
  
  


**_ A few weeks later _ **

  
  


Michael and Ryke had been staying at Ryan's, well, Devon's house for the past few weeks.  Michael was still trying to figure out what he was doing with this baby, but he had quickly fallen in love with the little bit of Ryan.  In fact, he already couldn't imagine what he would do without the little one.  He'd not been a fan of the screaming at three am, or the wailing at eight, or well, the fact that he shit more than anything he ever encountered.  He had no clue as to how he was supposed to control the little shitter.  But, underneath all of the shit, puke and tears, Michael was clinging to that one with so much.  He already was at the point where he lived for that little one – Ryke was the only thing keeping him going.  His depression from the loss of Ryan  
was lifting a bit more each and every day.  The simple things, like the reflex smile that Ryke would make, put more joy into Michael’s heart than anything else ever could.  He had a little dimple that would flare up in his right cheek when he got that smile, just like Ryan, it melted Michael’s heart every time.  He wasn’t going to put that baby away from him anytime soon. 

  
  
  
  
  
There was really only one huge problem Michael was having a debacle with, where to live.  He felt like the baby needed to be around the Lochte family, but he wanted to be back in Maryland at home.  Michael had no idea of where he should go or what to do.  He missed having his mom around to give those kind words; he missed his sisters teasing him, Herman snoring on him, and even Bob yelling at him for not giving it his all.  The Lochte’s were all great, but Michael missed Ryan more than ever when he was around them; it hurt to see that look on Ike’s face.  It was a look that he didn’t think would ever go away. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Devon thought he should go home, take Ryke, and just plan on visiting every two weeks.  Ideally, Michael would have liked to do just that, but he couldn’t really make that work, he knew that.  After a long discussion with his Mom and Ike, it was decided Michael and Baby would go back to Maryland and he would try and give Ryke the most normal life he could.  There would be phone calls, emails, texts, Skype, communication, really, in all ways they could get, and in person visits on a monthly basis, a rotation sort of system.  Michael wasn’t the fondest of this system, but he agreed it would be good to get into a routine. 

  
  


With all of the arrangements made, Michael packed up all of Ryke’s gear and sent it to his house, knowing he should have it there first.  He never would have guessed just how hard it was going to be to tell Ike and Devon goodbye.  Ike had become like a second Mom, helping him with everything and Devon was, well, another piece of Ryan.  It hurt saying goodbye, even if he was ready to get home. 

  
  
 -

  
  
The flight home had been absolutely the most horrible thing Michael had ever suffered through.  All Ryke had done was scream and shit, two of Mike’s least favorite things that he could do.  He was positive if there was an Olympic medal for most Shitting and Crying, Ryke would take gold in them both, hands down.  Thankfully, there had been a very sweet older woman behind him who’d been more than willing to help him calm the baby down.  He had no idea who she was, she seemed clueless to who he was and so it worked out well for the both of them.  She had miraculously given him instruction that got Ryke to calm right down, Michael accredited to her curly white hair and her grandma like charm, but whatever it was, he wanted it in a bottle so he could get that little nugget to sleep more often!  He had figured after a few weeks he would have been better with the baby than he was.  Being the perfectionist he was becoming, he wanted to do everything perfectly with this little Ryan, and keep him as safe as possible. 

  
  


  
  
  
  
Michael had requested that Bob pick him up from the airport, knowing he would have something insightful to say about the situation, something Michael really needed right now.  Lately, Bob was acting as more of a father like figure than just a coach.  Since the incident, Michael had been in bad shape and just needed that little push; Bob was able to give him that and Mike was eternally grateful for that. 

\- -- -

  
  
  
  
Bob hadn’t been expecting the sight in front of him at all when he got to the airport.   Yes, he’d been expecting Michael and a baby, but, not like this.  Michael was wearing a pair of sweats far too big for him, holding a baby hidden in his sweatshirt, walking on tiptoes and glaring at people who walked by him quickly and loudly.  When he saw Bob, he pointed in his direction, showing a stewardess beside him who he was with, to hand off the baby bag and car seat.  Bob kept his shock hidden well, even as he stared at the tiny newborn nestled in Michael’s rigid arms.  Shaking his head, Bob gave Michael a skeptical look, putting his hands out for the baby, Michael begrudgingly handed Ryke over.  Within a few moments, Bob had the still sleeping baby strapped into the car seat, blanket draped over the top.   **“Really Michael. . . put him in the car seat, easier to move him, not to mention just as safe.”** He handed the car seat to Michael, shaking his head as he headed for the luggage on the carousel.  Once retrieved he ushered Michael to the car.  Then, the fumbling really began.  Michael was so very awkward with the car seat and baby and all of that.  Bob watched and let him struggle for a bit of how to put the base in and all of that before giving him the look when a four letter word flew out of the younger man’s mouth.  Moving to the side, Mike allowed Bob to install the seat thing in his escalade before getting in the passenger side.  Bob gave him a curious look but shrugged, getting in to drive. 

  
  


** “Michael.  How are you going to do this?”  **

  
  
  
Mike looked over at Bob, shrugging his shoulders as they drove towards Debbie’s.  Bob sighed at the response, really hoping Michael wasn’t back in that position where he didn’t say anything. 

  
  
  
** “A baby is a lot of responsibility Michael.  Do you have any idea all of the care y-” **   Bob was unable to finish his question due to the little outbreak that erupted in the seat beside him, a raging mad Michael glaring at him with daggers so hard, Bob could feel them. 

  
  


** “Don’t. Say. Another. Word.”   ** Michael punctuated each word with the narrowing of his eyes increasing as did his anger level.  Nobody was going to say anything bad about his baby.  Even if Bob hadn’t been, Michael was taking it that way and was going to be protecting that little sleeping nugget in the backseat to the death.  This was not going at all like he had expected.

  
  


Sighing, Bob nodded before speaking once again.   **“I see you’re already protective of him.  Good.”**   He tried to contain all of his thoughts, ready to just tell Michael what he thought though.  Michael was in no way shape or form mentally ready to accept this challenge, Bob was highly worried that it was going to bring Michael down even more, seeing that little Ryan every day.  Time would tell. 

  
  
  
-  - -

  
  
  
Michael’s mother and sisters had been more receptive of the baby situation than Bob had been. All three of them had cooed  
and played with Ryke, loving the little piece of Ryan up just as much as Michael did when nobody was around.  He was embarrassed still about this, so he tended to keep his playful baby cooing side hidden, sadly.  Sitting on the sofa, he was more than anxious as he watched Ryke lay on his back, looking up at Debs, Hilary and Whitney; he knew they were harmless, but this little tugging feeling in the back of his mind wanted to just pick up that baby and hold him close, never letting go.  

  
  
  
Mike looked like a mess; his haggard appearance had been the first thing Debbie had noticed when she had seen her son.  No matter how many time she tried to convince him to shower and nap, Mike wouldn’t leave without Ryke right beside him.    He was so very attached to that little boy. 

  
  
  
  
Later that night, after insisting Michael and Ryke stay the night, Debbie walked by Mike’s room, hearing soft cooing.  She couldn’t help but pause at the door to listen. 

  
  
  
** “and he liked rap, and grillz and fast cars.  And Daddy liked to skateboard, surf, well, anything dangerous really.  But, I know that he was so very in love with you, even though you didn’t get to meet him.  He gave me the best gift ever with you, Little Guy.  You know that?  I love you so much and am so glad Daddy brought you to the world.  I know I’m not going to always do the right thing, but, I am going to do whatever it takes to be the best Dad you can have.  We’re going to be great pals, Ryke, great pals.  Daddy and I both, we love you little man, so you sleep tight and I’ll see you when you wake up in a few hours, screaming or filling your drawers.  Sleep tight, my angel.”  **

  
  
  
  
Debbie pulled back from the door with misty eyes, a proud feeling in her chest.  Michael could do this, she was almost sure of it now.  That little boy was going to bring back her son and she was so thankful to Ryan for his unplanned miracle. 


End file.
